A man holding a baseball bat standing next to home plate. A baseball player at home plate with a baseball bat.  A professional baseball player steps into the batter's box in front of a catcher and umpire. A baseball player holds the bat while the catcher and the umpire stand behind him on a baseball diamond. the batter grips his bat and gazes out toward the pitcher's mound, near the bottom of the batter's box, not quite at the plate.